NY Correctional Officers Ordered Not To Wear Masks, Even If They Have Them

Sandy Malone

Mar 25, 2020

New York correctional officers are not allowed to bring and wear protective masks at work because of the uniform code.

Albany, NY – New York correctional officers are not allowed to bring or wear their own face masks to work with them in detention facilities because it violates the uniform.

“Correction officers can and do wear a mask when appropriate to the medical situation. There is a Department Directive that outlines what can be worn with the uniform. The masks are not allowed unless medically necessary for the job and area they work in and then will be provided to them,” the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision said in a statement, according to WETM.

The New York State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have not recommended that the general public wear face masks.

Instead, they recommend that people wash their hands and use hand sanitizer, WETM reported.

The corrections department said they took proactive measure to mitigate the risk to corrections officers and prisoners, including putting a stop to prison visits early on, WGRZ reported.

The department also said that “internal transfers of incarcerated individuals has been stopped except for medical, disciplinary and other exigent circumstances to ensure the continued health and safety of our staff and incarcerated population,” WETM reported.

But the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA), the union that represents correctional officers, said that the state is not doing enough to protect its members, WGRZ reported.

“They did suspend it for today, but from indications we’re being given right now they’re still looking at putting buses back on the road as soon as tomorrow," NYSCOPBA Western Region Vice President Mark Deburgomaster told WGRZ. "Whether that’s going to be for just essential moves, we haven’t gotten clarification. But I do know the transport buses are being told they will run tomorrow… at what levels or numbers we haven’t been informed of yet.”

Deburgomaster pointed to the Wende Correctional Facility in Alden as a “hot spot” where numerous employees have been placed under quarantine.

***“***As of this morning it’s 42 officers, two sergeants and one lieutenant… Just out of that facility,” Deburgomaster told WGRZ.

He said there are about 100 correctional officers who have been exposed and told to quarantine in the western part of the state alone.

Sources told WGRZ that most of the coronavirus cases at Wende can be traced back to two inmates who were recently transferred into the facility, and one of them was disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.

The union has recommended that “state ready” prisoners who are scheduled to be transferred from local jails into state prisons should be held where they are for the foreseeable future.

“If there was someone in Westchester that tested positive, we don’t want to have that somebody coming in from Westchester into the state system,” NYSCOPBA Michael Power told WGRZ***.*** “And this is the same thing that happened, I believe working with background information, that happened with this Weinstein deal.”

The union boss explained that it’s not just about getting infected, it’s about what happens to the correctional system when too many officers cannot work.

“We’re now worried about the number of officers being quarantined which vastly effect our staffing abilities and to provide the services that are needed,” Power said.

He also said there isn’t enough personal protective equipment for the corrections officers who are working and that social distancing is unrealistic in their line of work, WGRZ reported.

“We don’t have the personal protection equipment in place to effectively prevent our members from catching this, and then bringing this outside the facility to their homes**,**" Power explained.

As a stopgap measure, the union has suggested that the state stop all construction projects that are being done at state correctional facilities, WGRZ reported.

Every construction worker who enters a prison property must be checked for contraband, and so must their vehicles and equipment.

“I do know that if they shut down the construction alone, that would free up massive numbers of officers that are currently taking care of construction, when they could be actually be better used on the galleries,” Deburgomaster said. “This could also slow the number of people coming into the facilities and reduce possible exposures.”

Comments (47)

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No. 1-11

flybynight

Mar 25

Good plan NY.......good plan. What fools!!!!!

9 Replies

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flybynight

Mar 25

You sound like an idiot..........but you always have and very likely always will.

flybynight

Mar 25

"I didn't say I couldn't catch it, I said I'm not worried because I'm virtually unable to die from it.

Unlike you, lol"

Steadman

Mar 25

Demon is built for this quarantine as he hasn’t left his parents basement in about a decade! EAD hcd!

Steadman

Mar 25

Sorry some of us have lives outside of message boards...

Steadman

Mar 25

if only we could be that lucky! The world would be a slightly better place without that oxygen thief.

I agree but look how much fun we would miss out on not being able to bitch slap that arrogant little bitch.

flybynight

Mar 25

I think you're afraid I'm right........ time will tell. Is that a drone I hear flying over your house?

Steadman

Mar 25

I don’t really know what people say about you because I don’t live on messages boards. Regardless it doesn’t make my statements any less true. You live in your parents basement. Own it chump.

Ghost_00000001

Mar 25

Bravo New York! You guys are really thinking this through! sarc It’ll keep this virus from turning into a real life Pandemic game! sorry but more sarcasm (High five if you know the game, just move to Greenland or Madagascar)

Steadman

Mar 25

Strange how a country like Venezuela can get masks for their officers but nys cannot...special kind of stupid. On a positive note; contraband (drugs + weapons) inside nys facilities has fallen since visits + family reunions have been temporarily suspended...who would’ve thought?!

RetiredCaLe

Mar 25

Apparently the NYC prison administration doesn’t give a rip about what is currently going on in this country. Wonder if the Governor will step in or of the prison personnel should strike to make their point.

Jim H. - Virginia US

Mar 25

If anyone has a sense of humor left (laughter is the best medicine), there's a new release of Conservative memes. If you like the top, be sure to click the replies link at the bottom...

PoBeals

Mar 26

Leadership? NOT in NY.

pixiepup

Mar 26

That is ridiculous because of a uniform code. Get rid of code during this pandemic.

ScoutLeduxStarr

Mar 26

There are stupid ass administrators like this throughout the country they shouldn't even be cops ....they wouldn't make a mole on a good cops ass.....

sanman899

Mar 26

How much more proof do we need that democrats are the evil enemy. they care more about the criminal that the peacekeeprs. F*** you democrats!!!

Gap Filler

Mar 27

@Jim H. - Virginia US You always find and post the coolest most informative stuff!

DRTice

Mar 28

Everyone show up to work wearing one. refuse to work without it. What are they going to do violate your right to protect yourself and your family?